So... My blogs have been a little depressing lately. and I apologize. I'm in one of the many phases of life, and that phase happens to be filled with way-too-big changes and death. But I'm over it, so to speak. Well, I'm making the choice to blog about something else anyway ;) As I type these exact words, I'm not entirely sure what I'll blog about though. Maybe happy moments from our day... ??
Oooh, I've got a good one. I was drawing Abbie's bath tonight (do we still say that in 2010? DRAWING a bath?) and I looked over at her (she was supposed to be taking her pre-bath potty break). She had her head IN.THE.TOILET.!!! No, there was no swirley action going on. But she was trying to get a good look at something deep in there! So that made for a fun, albeit kinda gross, memory tonight.
I read her "the Three Little Pigs" for the 1st time today. It never occured to me that my 3 year old hadn't heard that classic story before. She enjoyed it.
As I sit here, I'm listening to Mark Wills. You probably don't even know who Mark Wills is. He hasn't even had that many hits. But there's something about his music that I could listen to for hours for some reason. So this is a happy time in my day. lol. It's like everyone else's glass of wine. Instead of drinking, I listen to Mark Wills.
Ad I'm looking forward to spending another whole day with my husband tomorrow (well most of it anyway). It's good for my soul.
That's all I got tonight. Nothing brainy or witty or adorable (as if that's much different from usual, right? ;)) Have a good night!
Melissa
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Fortune Tellers
I sat near a teenage boy in church today and he had one of these little things that we used to play with as kids. I think we called them chinese fortune tellers. Put a big question mark in front of that- I really don’t remember. But you fold up a piece of paper so it makes a pyramid. And on the inside of it are 8 things you’ve written down. And you’re able to control it with your fingers so that, after a “random” amount of opening and closing it, you have 4 of the 8 things revealed. And these 4 things are statements about your future- who you’ll marry, what kind of house you’ll live in, whatever. It reminded me of a similar game we used to play on paper called HOUSE. In this game, you could usually find out who you were going to marry and what kind of dress you’d wear to the wedding, what job you’d have, how many kids you’d have, and what kind of house you were to live in. it was all very fun fantasizing about the way our lives would turn out. And even if you did end up with toothless Joe-Bob in a shack with 9 kids, it was just for fun.
As I watched this teenager this morning, I thought about fate. And I thought about all the life categories nobody ever anticipated.
How much trouble will you get into as a teenager?
What kinds of drugs will you experiment with?
What will you and your husband argue about the most?
How many friends will you lose to pointless deaths?
Who’s the one person you never thought you’d bury?
Will you even stay married?
Will you even have a job?
And of course the lighter topics…
Which activity will you enjoy the most? Couponing? Crafting? Or just sitting in peace and quiet for 5 minutes?
How many times will you be puked and pooped on?
How old will you be when you realize you have another person’s life in your hands? How long will you cry when you realize your child is the 1st person you’ve ever felt you’d give your life for?
Will you wear or carry your baby? Stroller or ergo? Sling or wrap?
Will you live in the city or in the suburbs? Will you be able to afford to live anywhere? Will you move back in with your parents?
Life.
Fate.
I know if I could go back, I probably wouldn’t tell my young teenage self too much. But I find it interesting the way we always plan for things to turn out. And sometimes they do go very much according to plan. But the fact is that life can’t be contained on a chinese fortune teller or a tweeny bopper invented paper game.
It’s bills and responsibilities. It’s choices that you never feel you’re old enough to make. It’s love and hate you only THOUGHT you had the capacity to feel when you were 17. It’s watching friends lose children and comforting others as they go through divorces, infidelity, and so much more. It’s having them comfort you when you’re going through your own unbearable struggles. It’s praying that you even have those friends when you need them. It’s losing and gaining valuable people and trying to determine what you want to do with this crazy thing called life you’ve been given.
I played the HOUSE game tonight as I was blogging (to the best of my ability, anyway. It really has been awhile ;) ) It told me I’d be married to my current husband, wear a fancy dress, and live in a shack with our 2 kids. Ironically, a lot of that seems to be accurate. But it’s just a game, so hopefully the shack house is negotiable.
Maybe if I could go back and do one thing, I’d take all those paper games I played with my girlfriends and I’d tear them up. And in their place, I’d write notes that said “Your life will be whatever you make of it” But that wouldn’t be as much fun, would it?
As I watched this teenager this morning, I thought about fate. And I thought about all the life categories nobody ever anticipated.
How much trouble will you get into as a teenager?
What kinds of drugs will you experiment with?
What will you and your husband argue about the most?
How many friends will you lose to pointless deaths?
Who’s the one person you never thought you’d bury?
Will you even stay married?
Will you even have a job?
And of course the lighter topics…
Which activity will you enjoy the most? Couponing? Crafting? Or just sitting in peace and quiet for 5 minutes?
How many times will you be puked and pooped on?
How old will you be when you realize you have another person’s life in your hands? How long will you cry when you realize your child is the 1st person you’ve ever felt you’d give your life for?
Will you wear or carry your baby? Stroller or ergo? Sling or wrap?
Will you live in the city or in the suburbs? Will you be able to afford to live anywhere? Will you move back in with your parents?
Life.
Fate.
I know if I could go back, I probably wouldn’t tell my young teenage self too much. But I find it interesting the way we always plan for things to turn out. And sometimes they do go very much according to plan. But the fact is that life can’t be contained on a chinese fortune teller or a tweeny bopper invented paper game.
It’s bills and responsibilities. It’s choices that you never feel you’re old enough to make. It’s love and hate you only THOUGHT you had the capacity to feel when you were 17. It’s watching friends lose children and comforting others as they go through divorces, infidelity, and so much more. It’s having them comfort you when you’re going through your own unbearable struggles. It’s praying that you even have those friends when you need them. It’s losing and gaining valuable people and trying to determine what you want to do with this crazy thing called life you’ve been given.
I played the HOUSE game tonight as I was blogging (to the best of my ability, anyway. It really has been awhile ;) ) It told me I’d be married to my current husband, wear a fancy dress, and live in a shack with our 2 kids. Ironically, a lot of that seems to be accurate. But it’s just a game, so hopefully the shack house is negotiable.
Maybe if I could go back and do one thing, I’d take all those paper games I played with my girlfriends and I’d tear them up. And in their place, I’d write notes that said “Your life will be whatever you make of it” But that wouldn’t be as much fun, would it?
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
It is well.
a few days ago, I blogged about staying home. I told about my decision to withdraw from the one class that stands between me and my teaching career. and at the time, my mind was still so murky that I couldn't really even type the words out. I couldn't explain what I was doing and I why I was making such a huge shift in my life. Because I really wasn't sure of any of it yet.
But I've prayed a lot about it. And as God likes to do, I've found a peace and clarity that far exceeds my greatest expectations. What I prayed for was less stress, fear, and anxiety. What I've been getting is a new look on life. I've realized over the last few years that I often don't realize what "life" really is. Maybe I'm just now becoming a grown-up. lol. But it occurs to me that we talk about this thing called "life" and all of it's woes and worries. And then when we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of them, we feel like we're the only one who's ever experienced that.
I watched a friend get shot and die in front of my eyes. I was bullied for more than a year, until I finally moved out of that town, because people thought that I was in some way responsible for my friend's death. As soon as I moved, I lost both of my grandfathers. Then 2 close family friends. And when I had begun to recover, my brother died. Life isn't fair.
My husband and I fight over money and never seem to have enough. We've lived with my parents for 2 years now and still aren't ready to buy a house. I've been going to school for 6 years now. And instead of getting easier, it's all just getting harder. I've busted my rear end just for my family to meet end's meet and we're still nowhere close to where we want to be. Welcome to the real world.
My parents are much different than many of my friends' parents. My life has been much different. I've often felt cheated in some ways. That's life.
I often vent about these things because, althought I DON'T want a pity party, it really does feel like everyone else seems to have it so much easier. So much better. But God has shown me that I need to get over that and remember that life is not about what happens; it's about how you deal with it.
I told my husband tonight that the last couple of days had been much better for me. And as I explained it, the old hymn "It is well" came to mind. So I entitled this blog "It is well" because that's how I'm feeling right now. Yeah, I'm putting my career and education on hold. Yeah, it may seem stupid or silly or whatever else. But I am at peace with it. I am at more peace right now, just focusing on ME for a little while, than I have been in a very long time. And so I hopped over to Youtube to listen to that hymn while I blogged... just for a little more peaceful inspiration. And the link I clicked o blew my mind. Because as I sit here typing all this out, God brought the whole topic full circle with the video I watched.
Go to Youtube and search "It is well". Select the 3rd video down (the one that looks like a view of a rock in the ocean as the sun is setting. You'll understad what I'm talking about.
It is well. Right now, it is very well. God Bless!
Melissa
But I've prayed a lot about it. And as God likes to do, I've found a peace and clarity that far exceeds my greatest expectations. What I prayed for was less stress, fear, and anxiety. What I've been getting is a new look on life. I've realized over the last few years that I often don't realize what "life" really is. Maybe I'm just now becoming a grown-up. lol. But it occurs to me that we talk about this thing called "life" and all of it's woes and worries. And then when we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of them, we feel like we're the only one who's ever experienced that.
I watched a friend get shot and die in front of my eyes. I was bullied for more than a year, until I finally moved out of that town, because people thought that I was in some way responsible for my friend's death. As soon as I moved, I lost both of my grandfathers. Then 2 close family friends. And when I had begun to recover, my brother died. Life isn't fair.
My husband and I fight over money and never seem to have enough. We've lived with my parents for 2 years now and still aren't ready to buy a house. I've been going to school for 6 years now. And instead of getting easier, it's all just getting harder. I've busted my rear end just for my family to meet end's meet and we're still nowhere close to where we want to be. Welcome to the real world.
My parents are much different than many of my friends' parents. My life has been much different. I've often felt cheated in some ways. That's life.
I often vent about these things because, althought I DON'T want a pity party, it really does feel like everyone else seems to have it so much easier. So much better. But God has shown me that I need to get over that and remember that life is not about what happens; it's about how you deal with it.
I told my husband tonight that the last couple of days had been much better for me. And as I explained it, the old hymn "It is well" came to mind. So I entitled this blog "It is well" because that's how I'm feeling right now. Yeah, I'm putting my career and education on hold. Yeah, it may seem stupid or silly or whatever else. But I am at peace with it. I am at more peace right now, just focusing on ME for a little while, than I have been in a very long time. And so I hopped over to Youtube to listen to that hymn while I blogged... just for a little more peaceful inspiration. And the link I clicked o blew my mind. Because as I sit here typing all this out, God brought the whole topic full circle with the video I watched.
Go to Youtube and search "It is well". Select the 3rd video down (the one that looks like a view of a rock in the ocean as the sun is setting. You'll understad what I'm talking about.
It is well. Right now, it is very well. God Bless!
Melissa
Friday, October 8, 2010
I'm Staying Home
Wow. As scary as those words have been since I've contemplated them on and off for the last 2 years, they actually sound pretty sweet as I sit here and type them out. I'm. Staying. Home. I'm putting a lot of what I've worked for the last 5 years on hold. I'm withdrawing from the one that stands between me and a career in elementary school teaching. And I'm terrified. But I'm also happy about it.
I've spent the last 3 years wishing every day were a day where I got to stay home, take care of our house, and be with Abbie.
And there's a lot more to it than that. But it's taken me 2-3 days just to get this much on paper, so I'll blog more about it later. I'm staying home; that's the jist of it ;)
Melissa
I've spent the last 3 years wishing every day were a day where I got to stay home, take care of our house, and be with Abbie.
And there's a lot more to it than that. But it's taken me 2-3 days just to get this much on paper, so I'll blog more about it later. I'm staying home; that's the jist of it ;)
Melissa
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
My Happy Moments
My Wednesday seems to be wrapping up on a good, warm-fuzzy kinda note, so I thought I'd share some highlights of my day. Some of my happy moments today:
1. Getting to take a 2 HOUR nap!!! :o :o :o (granted, it was b/c I'd woken up at 4 am and was feeling awful... but still... a TWO HOUR nap! :D)
2. Listening to my crazy German Shephard as they tested the tornado sirens today. Mean, I know, but it is HILARIOUS to listen to him howl like a wolf in labor. Lol! I should have gotten it on video; it's a song like no other!
3. Spending time with my sweet girl when I picked her up from preschool.
4. Sneaking a peak at a house I found online and realizing that the neighborhood could NOT be more PERFECT!! (and that I wish we could put in an offer tomorrow b/c I don't think I'd even care what the inside looks like... I love the neighborhood THAT much!)
I'd say it was a pretty great day. And I'd love for you to share YOUR happy moments! ;)
God Bless!
Melissa
1. Getting to take a 2 HOUR nap!!! :o :o :o (granted, it was b/c I'd woken up at 4 am and was feeling awful... but still... a TWO HOUR nap! :D)
2. Listening to my crazy German Shephard as they tested the tornado sirens today. Mean, I know, but it is HILARIOUS to listen to him howl like a wolf in labor. Lol! I should have gotten it on video; it's a song like no other!
3. Spending time with my sweet girl when I picked her up from preschool.
4. Sneaking a peak at a house I found online and realizing that the neighborhood could NOT be more PERFECT!! (and that I wish we could put in an offer tomorrow b/c I don't think I'd even care what the inside looks like... I love the neighborhood THAT much!)
I'd say it was a pretty great day. And I'd love for you to share YOUR happy moments! ;)
God Bless!
Melissa
Sunday, September 26, 2010
More Grocery Shopping... And Baby Wipes!
Maybe I should just call this the "grocery shopping blog". lol ;) After all, I do talk a LOT about my adventures in grocery shopping. But it's an important part of keeping our family running and saving money at the same time (both of which are equally important for achieving our long-term goals).
So some highlights from this week:
Kroger- I love some of the deals you can get at Kroger. This week, I snagged 2 boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios for $3.00 :) (I combined a $1 off coupon with their discounted price)
I also got almost 7 lbs of chicken breasts for under $7. So that was fun. :)
After picking up some more produce, OJ, and a few other random items, I was on to Aldi.
Total spent: 22.45
Total saved: $14 and some change :)
There I got my regulars- Fruit cups and applesauce, Cat food and litter, lots and lots of produce, and tons of other stuff.But my absolute FAVORITE new find at Aldi? Their baby wipes. They make me smile so much. Because, as most mothers know, baby wipes are the world's greatest invention. And ALDI sells them in the great little travel wipe containers (even has the convenient snap open lid) for 1.49. Most stores charge 2 or 3 times that much! I use them for EVERYTHING... wiping down the kitchen, the table, while we're on the road and I notice Abbie is covered in a mysterious substance... EVERY thing! So I get real excited about that ;)
Total spent: 38 and some change.
Total on the majority of the groceries this week: $60. On another note, my husband swung into Walmart the other night and spent the same amount. I'm not real sure what he bought besides fajita meat, doritos, and sliced bread. But I love him anyway ;)
Have a great week!
Melissa
So some highlights from this week:
Kroger- I love some of the deals you can get at Kroger. This week, I snagged 2 boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios for $3.00 :) (I combined a $1 off coupon with their discounted price)
I also got almost 7 lbs of chicken breasts for under $7. So that was fun. :)
After picking up some more produce, OJ, and a few other random items, I was on to Aldi.
Total spent: 22.45
Total saved: $14 and some change :)
There I got my regulars- Fruit cups and applesauce, Cat food and litter, lots and lots of produce, and tons of other stuff.But my absolute FAVORITE new find at Aldi? Their baby wipes. They make me smile so much. Because, as most mothers know, baby wipes are the world's greatest invention. And ALDI sells them in the great little travel wipe containers (even has the convenient snap open lid) for 1.49. Most stores charge 2 or 3 times that much! I use them for EVERYTHING... wiping down the kitchen, the table, while we're on the road and I notice Abbie is covered in a mysterious substance... EVERY thing! So I get real excited about that ;)
Total spent: 38 and some change.
Total on the majority of the groceries this week: $60. On another note, my husband swung into Walmart the other night and spent the same amount. I'm not real sure what he bought besides fajita meat, doritos, and sliced bread. But I love him anyway ;)
Have a great week!
Melissa
Saturday, September 25, 2010
So my favorite thing about shopping is getting home and laying everything out... just so I can remember all the fabulous things I found. And it's even better if I have an audience to display them to ;) ;) Well right now I couldn't be much happier (shopping wise anyway) because, as I blog, I am sprawled out in my living room floor. And my 3 year old is pulling out all of the fabulous things we got at Divine Consign tonight.
I will admit... I was a DC virgin. Had some idea what I was getting into, but was pleasantly surprised. My eyes lit up when I realized how organized it was (organization and I are great friends.) And on top of that, we got the following steals:
A Halloween Costume for my precious girl. She's gonna be Pocahontas, which I could not be MORE thrilled with because she is totally in love with Indians and princessess right now! And b/c it was $5 and it's much more original than all the $50- $100 costumes I'd almost talked myself into splurging on.
3 adorable dresses (2 with matching leggings)
A PERFECT Christmas dress, perfect for pictures, church, gatherings... whatever!
3 great, dressy sweaters
a few more matching outfits (cute tops with jeans, sweat pants, etc.. including a real cute Halloween outfit that looks like it came from a boutique. very cute)
A pair of cute casual pants.
3 pairs of fall/winter PJs
5 pairs of shoes, including the CUTEST slouch boots that are probably still too big... but there was NO way I was walking out without them! Also, some tennis shoes, Mary Janes, black dress shoes, and some others that will be great for preschool.
1 pair of rain boots
1 pair of elmo slippers that she just HAD to have!
The other perks of the evening? She had an amazing time and she feels totally spoiled! And mommy only spent $109 for what will make up a good chunk of her fall and winter wardrobe! :D :D :D :D
After a super-crummy day, this sure was a nice way to end it. Now off to wash one of the long sleeved dresses... because it looks like she will actually be able to wear it to church in the morning! Yep, 78 high in Texas! That, too, makes up for the rest of today's crumminess. :-P
Have a great weekend!
Melissa
I will admit... I was a DC virgin. Had some idea what I was getting into, but was pleasantly surprised. My eyes lit up when I realized how organized it was (organization and I are great friends.) And on top of that, we got the following steals:
A Halloween Costume for my precious girl. She's gonna be Pocahontas, which I could not be MORE thrilled with because she is totally in love with Indians and princessess right now! And b/c it was $5 and it's much more original than all the $50- $100 costumes I'd almost talked myself into splurging on.
3 adorable dresses (2 with matching leggings)
A PERFECT Christmas dress, perfect for pictures, church, gatherings... whatever!
3 great, dressy sweaters
a few more matching outfits (cute tops with jeans, sweat pants, etc.. including a real cute Halloween outfit that looks like it came from a boutique. very cute)
A pair of cute casual pants.
3 pairs of fall/winter PJs
5 pairs of shoes, including the CUTEST slouch boots that are probably still too big... but there was NO way I was walking out without them! Also, some tennis shoes, Mary Janes, black dress shoes, and some others that will be great for preschool.
1 pair of rain boots
1 pair of elmo slippers that she just HAD to have!
The other perks of the evening? She had an amazing time and she feels totally spoiled! And mommy only spent $109 for what will make up a good chunk of her fall and winter wardrobe! :D :D :D :D
After a super-crummy day, this sure was a nice way to end it. Now off to wash one of the long sleeved dresses... because it looks like she will actually be able to wear it to church in the morning! Yep, 78 high in Texas! That, too, makes up for the rest of today's crumminess. :-P
Have a great weekend!
Melissa
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Walmart: Fail
I don't really like Wal-mart. And every time I venture back over there, I remember that. I had a long grocery list this week and a tight budget, so I thought the best plan was to divide my groceries between Tom Thumb, Wal-mart, and Aldi. In a time crunch this afternoon, I went to the closer of the last two on my list: Wal-Mart.
Parking was a huge pain, as usual. The upside was that I didn't get cut off 16 times just getting a parking spot. :)
The produce was over-priced and none of it was impressive. In fact, I couldn't bring myself to buy the 1st bag of spinach I found and I took it back, miraculously finding a bag that looked pretty good. And I almost put back the grapes I'd picked when I was checking out because of all the brown ones (I had sorted through them and that bag had the *least*amount of brown grapes. *Insert rolling eyes*).
I bought quite a few things that just don't even compare to other store's products. Nothing was cheaper than anywhere else, and of course I had to do 3 times as much walking as I would've done in Aldi or another store.
And checking out was a bit of a pain, too. Of course the lines were super long, the store was unbelievably crowded, and I nearly got run over quite a few times. But those weren't even what made checkout a pain- I EXPECT those things from Wal-Mart.
And when I left, I had spent more money than I'd wanted. *More rolling eyes*
Yes, I'm whining. But groceries are important in my house. I'm feeding 4 adults, 6 animals, and a 3-year-old who could probably out-eat all of us combined. We need good, healthy, affordable food. We need products to help get us through our day-to-day routines as healthy and happy as possible.
THESE are the things I go to the grocery store for. But going to Wal-Mart only makes me wishing I'd gone elsewhere.
Parking was a huge pain, as usual. The upside was that I didn't get cut off 16 times just getting a parking spot. :)
The produce was over-priced and none of it was impressive. In fact, I couldn't bring myself to buy the 1st bag of spinach I found and I took it back, miraculously finding a bag that looked pretty good. And I almost put back the grapes I'd picked when I was checking out because of all the brown ones (I had sorted through them and that bag had the *least*amount of brown grapes. *Insert rolling eyes*).
I bought quite a few things that just don't even compare to other store's products. Nothing was cheaper than anywhere else, and of course I had to do 3 times as much walking as I would've done in Aldi or another store.
And checking out was a bit of a pain, too. Of course the lines were super long, the store was unbelievably crowded, and I nearly got run over quite a few times. But those weren't even what made checkout a pain- I EXPECT those things from Wal-Mart.
And when I left, I had spent more money than I'd wanted. *More rolling eyes*
Yes, I'm whining. But groceries are important in my house. I'm feeding 4 adults, 6 animals, and a 3-year-old who could probably out-eat all of us combined. We need good, healthy, affordable food. We need products to help get us through our day-to-day routines as healthy and happy as possible.
THESE are the things I go to the grocery store for. But going to Wal-Mart only makes me wishing I'd gone elsewhere.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Sticking my boot-covered foot right in my mouth...
So I have to admit; I've been gloating a bit over the last few weeks. I have managed all of mine and my husband's finances, savings, spending, EVERYTHING for the last 5 years. My husband is no financial slouch, but I have often been resentful (and not always quietly ;)) of the many burdens I carry by myself. So last week I handed him the general information he needed to pay all of our bills and take care of our budget and I told him to have fun. And for the 1st time in my life, I actually let go and have not even looked at our online checking acct (hardly.) This is a huge feat since it's usually something I do 6 times a day. And I have gloated a little because I feel like it really is going to be an eye opening experience... for him.
And I told my husband with confidence just a few days ago that I could ABSOLUTELY make it on the spending $ I was getting this week. And positively I could do with the gas allotment- In fact, I reminded him of some other expenses he might've forgotten and even told him I could do with LESS gas $. As we spoke on the phone and he was figuring out our allowances, I was waving my imaginary, mental hand in the air and saying "Easy. Peasy. I've got this." After all, I told my husband, the only thing I use my spending $ for is Starbucks.
Well tonight I decided I would put a gift card to use and indulge myself. After all, I have been drooling over boots for weeks now. And I have yet to buy a single pair. And the gift card would cover at least 1/2 of the boot purchase, so it was a smart buy as well.
Weeeelll... 3 indulgences later (the adorable boots, a rare 6-pack of beer, and some chunky chocolate chip cookes), my "Easy peasy budgeting week" has officially gone down the drain. I am officially left with $2 to spend for the next 6 days. I sat in the parking lot, counted my money, and seriously considered taking the boots back for the time being. Because, obviously, I can't tell my husband that *I*- budgeting extrodinairre- is out of money and needs more. I can't admit that, during his 1st week on the job, *I* am the one who has had a reality check.
So here's my prideful plan: Scour the Sunday papers tomorrow. Pray that I find a coupon for Soy or Almond milk (b/c I'm lactose intolerant and can't work with the skim we have in the house). And then cross my fingers and toes and hope I can get said milk for $2 or less. I may have to start an entirely new blog about my withdrawls from Starbucks. And I promise their stock WILL plummet! But it's gotta be better than admitting fault to my husband, right? Right?
And I told my husband with confidence just a few days ago that I could ABSOLUTELY make it on the spending $ I was getting this week. And positively I could do with the gas allotment- In fact, I reminded him of some other expenses he might've forgotten and even told him I could do with LESS gas $. As we spoke on the phone and he was figuring out our allowances, I was waving my imaginary, mental hand in the air and saying "Easy. Peasy. I've got this." After all, I told my husband, the only thing I use my spending $ for is Starbucks.
Well tonight I decided I would put a gift card to use and indulge myself. After all, I have been drooling over boots for weeks now. And I have yet to buy a single pair. And the gift card would cover at least 1/2 of the boot purchase, so it was a smart buy as well.
Weeeelll... 3 indulgences later (the adorable boots, a rare 6-pack of beer, and some chunky chocolate chip cookes), my "Easy peasy budgeting week" has officially gone down the drain. I am officially left with $2 to spend for the next 6 days. I sat in the parking lot, counted my money, and seriously considered taking the boots back for the time being. Because, obviously, I can't tell my husband that *I*- budgeting extrodinairre- is out of money and needs more. I can't admit that, during his 1st week on the job, *I* am the one who has had a reality check.
So here's my prideful plan: Scour the Sunday papers tomorrow. Pray that I find a coupon for Soy or Almond milk (b/c I'm lactose intolerant and can't work with the skim we have in the house). And then cross my fingers and toes and hope I can get said milk for $2 or less. I may have to start an entirely new blog about my withdrawls from Starbucks. And I promise their stock WILL plummet! But it's gotta be better than admitting fault to my husband, right? Right?
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Resisting the urge....
This morning, I really, really, reeealy wanted to shop. In fact, I started to. I was ready to purchase some designer boots off of Ebay (less expensive, in my defense, but spending $ nonetheless) and had an online shopping cart full of clothes for Abbie. But by a couple twists of fate, I instead found my shopping halted and found myself putting away laundry.
It was there that I remembered that Abbie and I really aren't in need of clothes. Putting away jeans next to all of my sweaters and in the same closet where I keep all the boots I already love, I realized those boots could probably wait. I could work with what I've got.
And watching Abbie's clothing pile up, I realized that she probably didn't need all those shirts and accessories I had thought earlier that she just HAD to have.
It got me thinking about how I really need to be more organized when I shop. Because, you see, I am all about a good deal. But I am NOT all about setting a certain amount aside to shop with. No, I tend to be the "We need it; I'll buy it" personality. And that can add up. I am frugal and I am smart when it comes to shopping. but I must also be more organized.
And I've found being organized around the house helps me save $ as well. Because it makes me realize that we really don't need to buy as much stuff as I'd like to think ;) :)
I *did* give into my shopping urge just a little. I headed to the Dollar Store and picked up an adorable fall-themed center-piece for the kitchen table. And I grabbed 2 cute little scarecrow buckets that are serving as great accessories in my kitchen. (One is holding random little items that were floating around my kitchen counters and the other is holding the overflow of my bread box- the tortillas and hamburger buns, etc that were just sitting sloppily on my counter). So today's shopping was not only affordable (at 12.99 for all three items), but also practical. And I'm much happier than I would have been with my boots and 3 year old clothes. :)
It was there that I remembered that Abbie and I really aren't in need of clothes. Putting away jeans next to all of my sweaters and in the same closet where I keep all the boots I already love, I realized those boots could probably wait. I could work with what I've got.
And watching Abbie's clothing pile up, I realized that she probably didn't need all those shirts and accessories I had thought earlier that she just HAD to have.
It got me thinking about how I really need to be more organized when I shop. Because, you see, I am all about a good deal. But I am NOT all about setting a certain amount aside to shop with. No, I tend to be the "We need it; I'll buy it" personality. And that can add up. I am frugal and I am smart when it comes to shopping. but I must also be more organized.
And I've found being organized around the house helps me save $ as well. Because it makes me realize that we really don't need to buy as much stuff as I'd like to think ;) :)
I *did* give into my shopping urge just a little. I headed to the Dollar Store and picked up an adorable fall-themed center-piece for the kitchen table. And I grabbed 2 cute little scarecrow buckets that are serving as great accessories in my kitchen. (One is holding random little items that were floating around my kitchen counters and the other is holding the overflow of my bread box- the tortillas and hamburger buns, etc that were just sitting sloppily on my counter). So today's shopping was not only affordable (at 12.99 for all three items), but also practical. And I'm much happier than I would have been with my boots and 3 year old clothes. :)
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Learning about the home-buying process....
I'm glad we've shopped around for a house without having the money to buy for SOOOOO many months now. I feel like (and excuse my arrogance) an expert on the real estate in this area. LOL! Every day for months now I have looked, compared, contrasted, and broken down every possible property in every possible area we might want to live in. I have compared schools, compared zip codes, compare price per square footage, sized up every single neighborhood and street and location. I can look at a map of every street within a 15 mile radius of here and visualize the neighborhood. I have driven hundreds of miles looking at house after house after house, getting so excited about ones that could possibly be ours. Imagining what we could do with them. Contemplating what kind of money we would need to fix them up. It's become an obsession, but a fun one. We've crunched the numbers and I know just how much more we need to bring in so that we can get into a house and live comfortable on one income.
And do you know what I've decided after all this shopping in this price range? We need to change our price range. Yes, folks, I believe it is actually a GREAT thing that I have been shopping somewhat aimlessly all these months. Because it took me this long to realize we need to up our price point 10,000- $40000. And that it wouldn't make THAT much difference on our mortgage payments. And that it made NO since to buy a home on basically one income when we would have 2 incomes 5 months later. It took me all these months of skipping over countless houses because they weren't up to our standards to actually crunch the numbers on more expensive houses. To come up with a Plan B.
It's a pretty startling revelation for someone who is so organized and always likes to feel like I'm on top of everything. Turns out, I was on top of everything. I knew what we wanted. I knew what needed to done. I knew what bills we needed to nix and what income we needed. I know what we want as a down payment and how we want to handle closing costs. I was just leaving out one important part of the whole "Chasing Our American Dream"-and that was making sure we actually GOT our American Dream.
And all this time we've been searching and searching so that we can settle. Why would we want to settle? So that we can leave a great house, in a great neighborhood, with almost everything we'd ever ask for? A house that we're paying NOTHING for? Nah, I don't think so. We'll up the price point, thank you.
I'm sorry if this is the most boring thing you've ever read, but it was a significant discovery for me and I'm in a bloggity-blogging mood tonight.
That's all for tonight. We're still chasing our dream. But we're learning it's defintely more of a steady up and down hil jog as opposed to a sprint.
God Bless!
Melissa
And do you know what I've decided after all this shopping in this price range? We need to change our price range. Yes, folks, I believe it is actually a GREAT thing that I have been shopping somewhat aimlessly all these months. Because it took me this long to realize we need to up our price point 10,000- $40000. And that it wouldn't make THAT much difference on our mortgage payments. And that it made NO since to buy a home on basically one income when we would have 2 incomes 5 months later. It took me all these months of skipping over countless houses because they weren't up to our standards to actually crunch the numbers on more expensive houses. To come up with a Plan B.
It's a pretty startling revelation for someone who is so organized and always likes to feel like I'm on top of everything. Turns out, I was on top of everything. I knew what we wanted. I knew what needed to done. I knew what bills we needed to nix and what income we needed. I know what we want as a down payment and how we want to handle closing costs. I was just leaving out one important part of the whole "Chasing Our American Dream"-and that was making sure we actually GOT our American Dream.
And all this time we've been searching and searching so that we can settle. Why would we want to settle? So that we can leave a great house, in a great neighborhood, with almost everything we'd ever ask for? A house that we're paying NOTHING for? Nah, I don't think so. We'll up the price point, thank you.
I'm sorry if this is the most boring thing you've ever read, but it was a significant discovery for me and I'm in a bloggity-blogging mood tonight.
That's all for tonight. We're still chasing our dream. But we're learning it's defintely more of a steady up and down hil jog as opposed to a sprint.
God Bless!
Melissa
Monday, August 23, 2010
Lining Up Our Ducks In a Row....
As I type this, I am making awesome sticky pork chops with a side of mashed potatoes and cheesy broccoli. Why is this such a big deal? Because I cannot remember the last time I made dinner on a Monday night. Because I worked full-time this summer teaching, I have been too exhausted to cook or do much of anything by the time we get home. It's been boxed dinners and take out for nearly 4 months now.
On Friday, however, I ended my full-tme job and started preparing for going back to the wonderful world of school. So there are lots of transitions and changes going on in our home, and that means we've got to switch gears if we're going to keep on chasing our American Dream.
We're budgetting. I'm going back to being self-employed full-time. And we're learning about the Dave Ramsey plan. I'll have a garage sale this Friday, which is not part of the overall plan but more of a necessity because our house is just busting at the seams! lol! :) But hopefully it will give us a little bit more cushion in savings.
We went and talked again with a mortgage consultant on Monday and found out that Jeremy's credit has gone way up and we'll be approved for a great rate! So that's awesome! We're still looking to buy by the first of the year. And until then, we're lining up all our ducks in a row. Let's just hope none of our ducks jump off into the pond.
On Friday, however, I ended my full-tme job and started preparing for going back to the wonderful world of school. So there are lots of transitions and changes going on in our home, and that means we've got to switch gears if we're going to keep on chasing our American Dream.
We're budgetting. I'm going back to being self-employed full-time. And we're learning about the Dave Ramsey plan. I'll have a garage sale this Friday, which is not part of the overall plan but more of a necessity because our house is just busting at the seams! lol! :) But hopefully it will give us a little bit more cushion in savings.
We went and talked again with a mortgage consultant on Monday and found out that Jeremy's credit has gone way up and we'll be approved for a great rate! So that's awesome! We're still looking to buy by the first of the year. And until then, we're lining up all our ducks in a row. Let's just hope none of our ducks jump off into the pond.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
What more can you ask for?
So I went to Kroger. Again. They're still having their Mega Event Sale, so I wanted to take advantage of some of the good deals we'd gotten last weekend. Like....
Getting fruit cups for 1.25 a package (Abbie eats 2-3 of these things each day at preschool b/c it's one of the easiest ways for me to get fruit in her while she's at school 8 hours a day)
3 packs of Horizon chocolate Milk for 1.99 (again, a favorite for preschool lunches/snacks)
Sliced and crushed pineapple (perfect for fruit salads we love) for $1
100% Grape and Apple Juice for Abbie- 1.29
100% Orange Juice for 2.27
Sliced tomatoes for .45 (stocked up b/c I can use them in sooo many recipes!)
Lunch meat- I can't remember how much it was, and my receipt is confusing me, but it was cheap :)
Bread
Dog treats- Because I have three of them and they're crazy. It's a great way to keep them off of me while we play. :P
Vitamin waters that Jeremy, Abbie, and I can all take while we're on-the-go all week long.
And a few other random items
I saved 30.32 and spent 37.90. And yes, I probably could have saved much more if I had combined some of the deals with coupons. But I preferred to be in and out (which I was, suprisingly! :)) and be on with my day.
So 20 minutes and $38 later, we left the store having one incredibly successful shopping trip under our belt. Abbie stayed in the cart the entire time and I'm almost done grocery shopping for the week- What more can you ask for?
And oh yeah, I got gas for 3.36 a gallon, and that wasn't even with rewards built up :) :) :)
Getting fruit cups for 1.25 a package (Abbie eats 2-3 of these things each day at preschool b/c it's one of the easiest ways for me to get fruit in her while she's at school 8 hours a day)
3 packs of Horizon chocolate Milk for 1.99 (again, a favorite for preschool lunches/snacks)
Sliced and crushed pineapple (perfect for fruit salads we love) for $1
100% Grape and Apple Juice for Abbie- 1.29
100% Orange Juice for 2.27
Sliced tomatoes for .45 (stocked up b/c I can use them in sooo many recipes!)
Lunch meat- I can't remember how much it was, and my receipt is confusing me, but it was cheap :)
Bread
Dog treats- Because I have three of them and they're crazy. It's a great way to keep them off of me while we play. :P
Vitamin waters that Jeremy, Abbie, and I can all take while we're on-the-go all week long.
And a few other random items
I saved 30.32 and spent 37.90. And yes, I probably could have saved much more if I had combined some of the deals with coupons. But I preferred to be in and out (which I was, suprisingly! :)) and be on with my day.
So 20 minutes and $38 later, we left the store having one incredibly successful shopping trip under our belt. Abbie stayed in the cart the entire time and I'm almost done grocery shopping for the week- What more can you ask for?
And oh yeah, I got gas for 3.36 a gallon, and that wasn't even with rewards built up :) :) :)
Saturday, July 17, 2010
20% of the way there!!!! YAY!
So just a month or two ago, I reported that we had all of .01% towards our down payment. I am happy to report that we are getting closer and closer... and are now sitting with 20% of our minimum down payment!!!!
There are still plenty of balls in the air. Jeremy is flying to Orlando this week to begin what will hopefully be a promotion very soon. I will be going back to school in just a few short weeks and subsequently making decisions about my work schedule. So we'll see how all that pans out. Unfortunately, my school schedule (and availability) can change as late in the game as the school decides and can, of course, throw my life into utter chaos. So we'll see. :)
A month ago we were at .01%. Today we're at 20%. Who knows where we'll be a month from now...
We're tentatively planning on buying at the beginning of the year. The reasoning is, even without any income (albeit Mary Kay :)) from my end (because I'll be student teaching)... we can swing it at that point of the year without any worries about money being tight.
But then again, I have found a house that I am afraid I'm going to love entirely too much when I meet with our realtor tomorrow to see it. :)
So we'll see. We shall see.
There are still plenty of balls in the air. Jeremy is flying to Orlando this week to begin what will hopefully be a promotion very soon. I will be going back to school in just a few short weeks and subsequently making decisions about my work schedule. So we'll see how all that pans out. Unfortunately, my school schedule (and availability) can change as late in the game as the school decides and can, of course, throw my life into utter chaos. So we'll see. :)
A month ago we were at .01%. Today we're at 20%. Who knows where we'll be a month from now...
We're tentatively planning on buying at the beginning of the year. The reasoning is, even without any income (albeit Mary Kay :)) from my end (because I'll be student teaching)... we can swing it at that point of the year without any worries about money being tight.
But then again, I have found a house that I am afraid I'm going to love entirely too much when I meet with our realtor tomorrow to see it. :)
So we'll see. We shall see.
Still Trying to Save on Groceries...
I'd consider this a pretty good week of grocery shopping. I ventured to Kroger for the first time in quite awhile because they were having one of their "Mega Event Sales" where you buy 10 participating items and save $5.00 at the register. I did not use any coupons, although a lot of the items you can use coupons on. But couponing just takes me too much time at this point in life.
So I went to couponmom, selected Kroger, and found items that I needed and that were on the list of items for the Mega Sale event. I really like this event because they pick a LOT of items to participate, and they're not expensive items. For example, 2 of my 10 items were under $1. And really, you could stock up on some things for free.
For example, they had .45 cans of Hunt's Tomato Sauce. So if you bought ten, you'd technically be owed .50 (99% sure they don't pay you, but you'd still get them for free!)
Or you could get 10 boxes of Pasta-Roni or Rice-a-Roni for 2.90! :)
But I stocked up on a variety of things- Orange Juice, Soy milk, Yogurt, Cheeses for Abbie's lunches, granola bars, organic chocolate milk, and quite a few other things. I also scored 3 poster paints for my classroom from their clearance section! :)
31 items, 14.60 saved, and only 30.00 spent! Not bad! :)
Then we hopped on over to ALDI and stocked up on other essentials to get us through the week:
Bread
Fruit cups and other fruit
Grape Juice for the Abbster
Applesauses
Cherries- cus they make a yummy snack for me :)
LOTS of cat food - dry and wet- because we have 3 cats, including a diabetic who has to have high-protein food.
Toothbrushes for me :)
Cat litter
Waffles because they've become my saving grace as Abbie and I are running out the door 15 minutes late every morning :-P
And other items that I don't remember right now.
I spent 37.00 for a grand total of 67.00 on groceries this week.
So I went to couponmom, selected Kroger, and found items that I needed and that were on the list of items for the Mega Sale event. I really like this event because they pick a LOT of items to participate, and they're not expensive items. For example, 2 of my 10 items were under $1. And really, you could stock up on some things for free.
For example, they had .45 cans of Hunt's Tomato Sauce. So if you bought ten, you'd technically be owed .50 (99% sure they don't pay you, but you'd still get them for free!)
Or you could get 10 boxes of Pasta-Roni or Rice-a-Roni for 2.90! :)
But I stocked up on a variety of things- Orange Juice, Soy milk, Yogurt, Cheeses for Abbie's lunches, granola bars, organic chocolate milk, and quite a few other things. I also scored 3 poster paints for my classroom from their clearance section! :)
31 items, 14.60 saved, and only 30.00 spent! Not bad! :)
Then we hopped on over to ALDI and stocked up on other essentials to get us through the week:
Bread
Fruit cups and other fruit
Grape Juice for the Abbster
Applesauses
Cherries- cus they make a yummy snack for me :)
LOTS of cat food - dry and wet- because we have 3 cats, including a diabetic who has to have high-protein food.
Toothbrushes for me :)
Cat litter
Waffles because they've become my saving grace as Abbie and I are running out the door 15 minutes late every morning :-P
And other items that I don't remember right now.
I spent 37.00 for a grand total of 67.00 on groceries this week.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
More Savings At Aldi....
I gotta say.... I'm lovin Aldi. Real quickly, I'll share what we picked up this week. :)
For snacks:
Beef hot dogs for Abbie
2 cans of crushed pineapple
Cherries (my favorite! :D :D)
Baby carrots
2 chicken pot pies
Frozen vegetable egg rolls... Never tried them before, they look yummy!
8 fruit bowls in light syrup
For dinners/meals:
2 Salisbury steak dinners (for mommy to pop in the oven and not have to worry about after working all day ;))
Turkey for lunches
3 loaves of whole wheat bread (at .50 a piecce, thank you!)
Crinkled french fries that will go great with the hot dogs and burgers we have tonight!
2.33 pounds of chicken
For breakfast:
2 cartons of Orange juice
A 10-pack of waffles
Indiivudally wrapped mini muffins for Abbie
Gallon of milk
MISC:
4 pack of toilet paper
Disinfectant wipes
100% pure apple juice
Grand total: less than $42 :D
For snacks:
Beef hot dogs for Abbie
2 cans of crushed pineapple
Cherries (my favorite! :D :D)
Baby carrots
2 chicken pot pies
Frozen vegetable egg rolls... Never tried them before, they look yummy!
8 fruit bowls in light syrup
For dinners/meals:
2 Salisbury steak dinners (for mommy to pop in the oven and not have to worry about after working all day ;))
Turkey for lunches
3 loaves of whole wheat bread (at .50 a piecce, thank you!)
Crinkled french fries that will go great with the hot dogs and burgers we have tonight!
2.33 pounds of chicken
For breakfast:
2 cartons of Orange juice
A 10-pack of waffles
Indiivudally wrapped mini muffins for Abbie
Gallon of milk
MISC:
4 pack of toilet paper
Disinfectant wipes
100% pure apple juice
Grand total: less than $42 :D
Changing the American Dream....
As I sat with Abbie the other night and she told me the things she wanted to pray about that evening, I had a revelation. WHAT exactly am I chasing? Why am I in such a hurry to get all of these things done now? I'm finishing my degree; my husband is moving up in his career. Our first child is just barely 3 years old. We've got enough going on without adding the stress expanding our family, buying a home, and trying to achieve all of our life goals before the age of thirty. So I decided to slow it down a bit.
I know some of you may have figured this out many moons ago. But I tend to be the type of person who always has to have SOMETHING to work on. And buying a home was what I was currently stuck on.
And we're still working on it. But just at a slower pace. I've decided to put our energy and efforts into where we're at now, which is a plenty good space for us. I'll work on making that feel more like home instead of insisting we buy a NEW home. I'll paint and decorate and do lots of things I haven't done for the last 2 years b/c I've never viewed this as our permanent place. and I still don't. But I finally realized that we are incredibly blessed and if I'd just take a minute to sit back and enjoy what we've got, I wouldn't be in such a hurry to chase after something else.
So those are my words of wisdom for today.
The blog will go on... We're still chasing many dreams in our life, including our first home. But the blog will also take a different turn, as we come to accept that we'll probably be where we're at for a little while longer. :)
I know some of you may have figured this out many moons ago. But I tend to be the type of person who always has to have SOMETHING to work on. And buying a home was what I was currently stuck on.
And we're still working on it. But just at a slower pace. I've decided to put our energy and efforts into where we're at now, which is a plenty good space for us. I'll work on making that feel more like home instead of insisting we buy a NEW home. I'll paint and decorate and do lots of things I haven't done for the last 2 years b/c I've never viewed this as our permanent place. and I still don't. But I finally realized that we are incredibly blessed and if I'd just take a minute to sit back and enjoy what we've got, I wouldn't be in such a hurry to chase after something else.
So those are my words of wisdom for today.
The blog will go on... We're still chasing many dreams in our life, including our first home. But the blog will also take a different turn, as we come to accept that we'll probably be where we're at for a little while longer. :)
Friday, May 14, 2010
Snow-Balling and Progress
So I mentioned that we had already taken steps to pay off our credit card debt. And while we've never studied the Dave Ramsey plan, I'm a huge fan of his snow-balling technique. And for those who care, that's what I plan to do with some more of our current debt so that I can get us right where we want to be before taking on a mortgage. :)
My goals are to get our oldest car paid off first (which sits at about a $6000 balance right now). Right now, that means a good 17-18 months left on the loan. I'd love to get it paid off in 8-10. And I'm not gonna lie- figuring out those numbers scare me a little. :-P
We DO carry a small balance right now on one credit card, and I plan on having that paid off in 2-3 months.
We'll save a little by not paying $185/ month for preschool this summer, so I'll try and stash anywhere from $150-$200 or more away each month from that. :) And all of that will go towards the down payment fund.
And for those of you who are wondering just how close we are to obtaining our 1st portion of that American Dream... We are currently at .84% of our minimum down payment goal. LOL. I know, I know... It's less than 1%. But you gotta start somewhere, right? Right?
My goals are to get our oldest car paid off first (which sits at about a $6000 balance right now). Right now, that means a good 17-18 months left on the loan. I'd love to get it paid off in 8-10. And I'm not gonna lie- figuring out those numbers scare me a little. :-P
We DO carry a small balance right now on one credit card, and I plan on having that paid off in 2-3 months.
We'll save a little by not paying $185/ month for preschool this summer, so I'll try and stash anywhere from $150-$200 or more away each month from that. :) And all of that will go towards the down payment fund.
And for those of you who are wondering just how close we are to obtaining our 1st portion of that American Dream... We are currently at .84% of our minimum down payment goal. LOL. I know, I know... It's less than 1%. But you gotta start somewhere, right? Right?
YAY For Changes!!!
So, lots of changes for our family this week! I got a job! A real, clock-punching, doing something I love to do job. It has been almost 2 years since I have worked for someone else. But I have to say, this job is so perfect for me that I'm not worried at all. I'm just so excited to be teaching and to have the opportunity to take money and set it aside for our house and our future. Plus, Abbie will be right there in the same school with me. It's perfect. :D
In other news, I spent less than $60 on groceries for the next week or two. AND it only took us like an hour to do all of our shopping (thank you, ALDI, for setting up shop right next to Wal-mart). That's how I like my grocery shopping- Cheap and easy.
Have a great day!
Melissa
In other news, I spent less than $60 on groceries for the next week or two. AND it only took us like an hour to do all of our shopping (thank you, ALDI, for setting up shop right next to Wal-mart). That's how I like my grocery shopping- Cheap and easy.
Have a great day!
Melissa
Monday, May 10, 2010
How to view/use credit...
I never really used credit cards until after our daughter was born 3 years ago. I found myself working less and having to buy a lot more. My husband took a promotion and started driving 60 miles roundtrip to work every day, instead of 5 miles round trip. So our expenses were going up and our income was going down. And when I went to the grocery store with our new baby girl, a credit card seemed like a reasonable choice.
But 3 years and thousands of dollars of debt later, I realized that my approach to credit cards had been all wrong. Because those necessary groceries had turned into lunches and dinners and so many cups of Starbucks coffee that I could never possibly count. And despite the fact that I had amazing credit, my creditors were upping my rates without me knowing. And constantly changing my due dates. And making it nearly impossible to sign online and make a payment. And scheduled monthly payments? Forget about it! That might actually ensure that you pay your bill on time every month! :-P I was maxed out and taxed out and I was ready to get them paid off!
I went to a debt seminar about 6 months ago and learned a lot. But the error of my ways really didn't occur to me until about 2-3 weeks ago, when I was talking with my husband. I made a comment about not wanting to get him his own CC because he would use it for fast food or energy drinks or cigarettes. He laughed out loud, exclaiming that he would NEVER use credit cards for those little things and that that's not what they're for. He said the reason he's never carried a CC is because he figures most things you should pay cash for. and if you can't pay cash, you don't need them. It was like a light bulb went off over my head. Because 3 years later, I was still paying off on cups of coffee and clothes my daughter had long out grown. It made no sense whatsoever and I had been using my credit cards so often that it was impossible to keep track of the amounts on there.
We made the decision earlier this year to consolidate all of our loans through our credit union. The CU paid off the loans and we said good-bye to ridiculous interest rates. Now we're set up with a loan that costs us just $200 a month and only has a 9.5% interest rate (compared to anywhere from 19% to 27% :O ). It's a much better approach to our credit card problem, and I don't have to worry about making 4-6 payments a month or getting tacked with a $40 fee if I'm 5 minutes late because I got caught up in life.
So yes, I gave the CC industry a LOT of money. But I feel like I have a lot better perspective on credit cards now. Plus, we're saving a lot of money on interest and will have our debt paid off soon. It's a huge relief.
But 3 years and thousands of dollars of debt later, I realized that my approach to credit cards had been all wrong. Because those necessary groceries had turned into lunches and dinners and so many cups of Starbucks coffee that I could never possibly count. And despite the fact that I had amazing credit, my creditors were upping my rates without me knowing. And constantly changing my due dates. And making it nearly impossible to sign online and make a payment. And scheduled monthly payments? Forget about it! That might actually ensure that you pay your bill on time every month! :-P I was maxed out and taxed out and I was ready to get them paid off!
I went to a debt seminar about 6 months ago and learned a lot. But the error of my ways really didn't occur to me until about 2-3 weeks ago, when I was talking with my husband. I made a comment about not wanting to get him his own CC because he would use it for fast food or energy drinks or cigarettes. He laughed out loud, exclaiming that he would NEVER use credit cards for those little things and that that's not what they're for. He said the reason he's never carried a CC is because he figures most things you should pay cash for. and if you can't pay cash, you don't need them. It was like a light bulb went off over my head. Because 3 years later, I was still paying off on cups of coffee and clothes my daughter had long out grown. It made no sense whatsoever and I had been using my credit cards so often that it was impossible to keep track of the amounts on there.
We made the decision earlier this year to consolidate all of our loans through our credit union. The CU paid off the loans and we said good-bye to ridiculous interest rates. Now we're set up with a loan that costs us just $200 a month and only has a 9.5% interest rate (compared to anywhere from 19% to 27% :O ). It's a much better approach to our credit card problem, and I don't have to worry about making 4-6 payments a month or getting tacked with a $40 fee if I'm 5 minutes late because I got caught up in life.
So yes, I gave the CC industry a LOT of money. But I feel like I have a lot better perspective on credit cards now. Plus, we're saving a lot of money on interest and will have our debt paid off soon. It's a huge relief.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
What I Did This Week....
With school finishing up, preschool winding down, my daughter's 3 year old birthday party, and summer fast-approaching, it has been another CRAZY week at our house! So this week I spent an amazing $150 on her birthday party (I thought that was PHENOMENAL, especially since we hosted about 40 people). Last year I spent close to $400. So big improvement for sure. And I didn't even try that hard :-P
I set aside another $20 to the house fund... WOO HOO!! :-P Right now, the house fund is not something I'm setting $ aside for every week, but more something I'm just throwing extra cash into when I have it in my hands. :)
As far as grocery shopping, I have been to Target. I spent $99 and saved $20.50 in off the top savings (15.50 in coupons, not doubled or tripled and 5.00 in free gift cards b/c I had a qaulifying purchase). I spent a little more than expected, but stocked up on some staple items that will last me a few weeks (dog and cat food, namely) I'll be hitting up ALDI for produce and possible meat. I hope to spend less than $30 on all of that. *fingers crossed*
Hope everyone had an awesome Mother's Day!
Melisa
I set aside another $20 to the house fund... WOO HOO!! :-P Right now, the house fund is not something I'm setting $ aside for every week, but more something I'm just throwing extra cash into when I have it in my hands. :)
As far as grocery shopping, I have been to Target. I spent $99 and saved $20.50 in off the top savings (15.50 in coupons, not doubled or tripled and 5.00 in free gift cards b/c I had a qaulifying purchase). I spent a little more than expected, but stocked up on some staple items that will last me a few weeks (dog and cat food, namely) I'll be hitting up ALDI for produce and possible meat. I hope to spend less than $30 on all of that. *fingers crossed*
Hope everyone had an awesome Mother's Day!
Melisa
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Meal Planning
So I mentioned that one thing I do to keep myself on top of things is to meal plan. I know to some people this sounds WAY too hard, but I tend to keep it pretty simple. And it saves $$$ too. Because I am going to school full-time, raising a 3 year old, and running a business, I usually don't have more than 30-60 minutes to spend on dinner, if that. So I try and do quick and easy recipes. Here's what's on the menu for this week (while our double ovens are out of commission :( )
Last Friday (I grocery shopped on Friday) Spaghetti with salad
Saturday- Fried chicken with homemade mashed potatoes and salad
Sunday- Sticky pork chops, pasta, and fruit salad
Monday- Was leftovers, but we went out to dinner for Abbie's birthday
Tuesday- Jumbalaya with cole slaw and salad
Wednesday- Grilled chicken with homemade potatoes and salad
Thursday- leftovers or lasagna
Friday- Pizza and salad
I don't do everything from scratch, but I don't cook everything out of a box either. Side items often come boxed because of time constraints, but I fit in things like homemade mashed potatoes when I can :) And, with the exception of eating out on Monday, if you add up the cost of all my dinners for the week... I probably only spent about $35 on dinner for the week :D :D :D :D
Last Friday (I grocery shopped on Friday) Spaghetti with salad
Saturday- Fried chicken with homemade mashed potatoes and salad
Sunday- Sticky pork chops, pasta, and fruit salad
Monday- Was leftovers, but we went out to dinner for Abbie's birthday
Tuesday- Jumbalaya with cole slaw and salad
Wednesday- Grilled chicken with homemade potatoes and salad
Thursday- leftovers or lasagna
Friday- Pizza and salad
I don't do everything from scratch, but I don't cook everything out of a box either. Side items often come boxed because of time constraints, but I fit in things like homemade mashed potatoes when I can :) And, with the exception of eating out on Monday, if you add up the cost of all my dinners for the week... I probably only spent about $35 on dinner for the week :D :D :D :D
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Some of the Sites I Love...
A lot of moms already know about these sites, but I will throw just a few of them out there. Now I will say that I do NOT do a lot of internet shopping, but I do use one of my most valuable resources (the 'net) to save me money and time when possible.
www.restaurant.com- This is a really neat site that lets you print out gift certificates for up to 80% off your favorite local restuarants!
groupon.com- I have not used this yet, but I'm hearing a lot about it so check it out! :D
http://www.couponmom.com/- I use this site b/c she can tell you where to use your coupons to get the best deals. It's really neat!
http://kidsteals.com/ and babysteals.com- The way these sites work is that they post a product every day for usually 50% or more off the price. They sell as many of the item as they have at that price and then they're gone. I've snagged a couple of things for Abbie and it's fun to get name brand items at such a steal.
Craigslist- I've used CL for bigger items, like Abbie's first tricycle, an art easel, and ball pit. I easily save about 90%. I also shop garage sales and that's where I scored her $50 play car for $5, as well as her $80 sand and water table for $10. It's a great place to get things like kitchen sets, sand boxes, and so many of those things that you awnt your child to have but you don't feel the need to pay so much for... namely because the items are just one big piece of plastic :-P
If I DO shop online, I use sites like this to see if I can snag promotional codes that others have put out there :) I love to shop The Children's Place and they almost always have coupon codes out! :D
http://www.retailmenot.com/
I'd love to hear other sites that you use!
Melissa
www.restaurant.com- This is a really neat site that lets you print out gift certificates for up to 80% off your favorite local restuarants!
groupon.com- I have not used this yet, but I'm hearing a lot about it so check it out! :D
http://www.couponmom.com/- I use this site b/c she can tell you where to use your coupons to get the best deals. It's really neat!
http://kidsteals.com/ and babysteals.com- The way these sites work is that they post a product every day for usually 50% or more off the price. They sell as many of the item as they have at that price and then they're gone. I've snagged a couple of things for Abbie and it's fun to get name brand items at such a steal.
Craigslist- I've used CL for bigger items, like Abbie's first tricycle, an art easel, and ball pit. I easily save about 90%. I also shop garage sales and that's where I scored her $50 play car for $5, as well as her $80 sand and water table for $10. It's a great place to get things like kitchen sets, sand boxes, and so many of those things that you awnt your child to have but you don't feel the need to pay so much for... namely because the items are just one big piece of plastic :-P
If I DO shop online, I use sites like this to see if I can snag promotional codes that others have put out there :) I love to shop The Children's Place and they almost always have coupon codes out! :D
http://www.retailmenot.com/
I'd love to hear other sites that you use!
Melissa
Meal planning and coupon-cutting, OH MY!
So I do lots of things to stay on top of our budget and to ensure that we are able to not only pay our bills, but also save money.
I have not worked full-time since before our 3 year old was born, and it's defintely been an adjustment. Some of the big things I do to save money are with my grocery bill. For example:
1. We don't eat out hardly ever.
2. I plan our meals at least a week in advance.....And I plan AFTER I buy meat because it tends to overtake my grocery bill if I don't get it on sale. I always buy meat on sale. And then I freeze it and distribute it throughout the week. I buy in bulk with very, very few exceptions.
3. I cut coupons and make the most of them. I try to use coupons under $1 at Kroger because they will double and triple them. Then I use ones that re $1 or more at Wal Mart. I have also fallen in love with ALDI, which has awesome prices on fruit and many other things.
I try to spend less than $400 a month on groceries, and that takes care of a family of 3-5 (not everyone is here to eat every night), 3 dogs, and 3 cats. I spend about $75 on groceries a week.
Yes, sometimes it's a pain. But I really don't take a lot of extra time to do these things. Here's my routine:
Cut out coupons when they come in the Sunday paper. Organize them in my coupon holder (I do it by product. For example pizza coupons go under "P". That way, if I need pizza, I can also compare all my coupons to what's on sale that week, etc, and I can get the best deal.
Before I go to the store on Friday or Saturday, I write down everything we need. Then I go through and see what I have coupons for.
I then re-organize my big list into smaller lists. I divide it by store (what I'm going to get at Kroger and what I'll get at WM or Target, etc). I make a note as to what I have a coupon for and I set the coupons aside. I keep all the Kroger ones together and I keep the WM/Target ones together. **Hint** Target also sends out their own coupons for things, and these can be used in addition to the manufactuer's. The thing about coupons is that you don't get a great deal just b/c of the coupon most of the time... You usually get a great deal b/c you combine the coupon with a sale, another coupon, or you get it doubled/tripled. :)
I make an envelope for Kroger and WM or wherever I'm going and that way, I have my list for each store and the coupons I need for that store right there with me.
Sometimes I use couponmom.com. I pay attention to anything in her coupon database that is 70-100% off. Yes, you can usually get SOMETHING free at Kroger every week. And if there's something I need, I make sure to snatch it up. But I don't buy things just b/c they're on sale. I get what I need that week, and there are very few things I wait to buy until I have a coupon (one exception are my husband's ridiculously expensive razors :-P).
I go to Kroger first and then WM or Target. And now that I've discovered ALDI, that will be my 1st stop for produce and things I know I won't find cheaper at the other stores.
It's taken me awhile, but that's my system... I typically save at least 30% (sometimes 50% or more) at Kroger and anywhere from 10-20% at Wal Mart.
This week, I spent 13.97 at Kroger and saved 6.30.
I spent 91.68 at Wal-Mart and saved 16.00
At ALDI, I snatched up some deals like a whole pineapple for .99 (3.99 everyhwere else), .99 for a lb of strawberries, and 2.40 for 10 pounds of potatoes!
This week we spent almost $150 in groceries, but I can guarantee you we'll probably only spend $50 next week. So it evens out. :)
All right... enough rambling about my grocery bills. Next post: Meal planning!
Melissa
I have not worked full-time since before our 3 year old was born, and it's defintely been an adjustment. Some of the big things I do to save money are with my grocery bill. For example:
1. We don't eat out hardly ever.
2. I plan our meals at least a week in advance.....And I plan AFTER I buy meat because it tends to overtake my grocery bill if I don't get it on sale. I always buy meat on sale. And then I freeze it and distribute it throughout the week. I buy in bulk with very, very few exceptions.
3. I cut coupons and make the most of them. I try to use coupons under $1 at Kroger because they will double and triple them. Then I use ones that re $1 or more at Wal Mart. I have also fallen in love with ALDI, which has awesome prices on fruit and many other things.
I try to spend less than $400 a month on groceries, and that takes care of a family of 3-5 (not everyone is here to eat every night), 3 dogs, and 3 cats. I spend about $75 on groceries a week.
Yes, sometimes it's a pain. But I really don't take a lot of extra time to do these things. Here's my routine:
Cut out coupons when they come in the Sunday paper. Organize them in my coupon holder (I do it by product. For example pizza coupons go under "P". That way, if I need pizza, I can also compare all my coupons to what's on sale that week, etc, and I can get the best deal.
Before I go to the store on Friday or Saturday, I write down everything we need. Then I go through and see what I have coupons for.
I then re-organize my big list into smaller lists. I divide it by store (what I'm going to get at Kroger and what I'll get at WM or Target, etc). I make a note as to what I have a coupon for and I set the coupons aside. I keep all the Kroger ones together and I keep the WM/Target ones together. **Hint** Target also sends out their own coupons for things, and these can be used in addition to the manufactuer's. The thing about coupons is that you don't get a great deal just b/c of the coupon most of the time... You usually get a great deal b/c you combine the coupon with a sale, another coupon, or you get it doubled/tripled. :)
I make an envelope for Kroger and WM or wherever I'm going and that way, I have my list for each store and the coupons I need for that store right there with me.
Sometimes I use couponmom.com. I pay attention to anything in her coupon database that is 70-100% off. Yes, you can usually get SOMETHING free at Kroger every week. And if there's something I need, I make sure to snatch it up. But I don't buy things just b/c they're on sale. I get what I need that week, and there are very few things I wait to buy until I have a coupon (one exception are my husband's ridiculously expensive razors :-P).
I go to Kroger first and then WM or Target. And now that I've discovered ALDI, that will be my 1st stop for produce and things I know I won't find cheaper at the other stores.
It's taken me awhile, but that's my system... I typically save at least 30% (sometimes 50% or more) at Kroger and anywhere from 10-20% at Wal Mart.
This week, I spent 13.97 at Kroger and saved 6.30.
I spent 91.68 at Wal-Mart and saved 16.00
At ALDI, I snatched up some deals like a whole pineapple for .99 (3.99 everyhwere else), .99 for a lb of strawberries, and 2.40 for 10 pounds of potatoes!
This week we spent almost $150 in groceries, but I can guarantee you we'll probably only spend $50 next week. So it evens out. :)
All right... enough rambling about my grocery bills. Next post: Meal planning!
Melissa
Friday, April 30, 2010
Our Down Payment :D
This blog will cover lots of things, namely what we're doing in our lives to make "all our dreams come true" :-P As I've already said, the #1 thing on our list is to buy our own home. YAY! :D
So I guess it's only fair that I tell you how far along we are in the process. Well, you better hold onto your socks cus this just might knock them off! As of today, April 30th, 2010, we have a whopping $22 towards our down payment!!!!! I know, I know... Watch out real estate market, HERE WE COME!
In all seriousness, we literally are starting over again. From the VERY beginning. We've had to drain our previous fund and we're starting from scratch. It stinks, but what're you gonna do?
For those of you who may be wondering, our down payment/ home account is going to be its own seperate fund... Money goes in, but it does not come out. And the idea is that, literally, every extra penny will go towards our future home. That's how I, personally, save for things. And it works for me. I've done it many different ways before (in piggy banks, envelopes, bank accounts, etc) but the point is that this system works. Setting one thing aside and throwing all your spare change and extra cash into that one fund works. Pretty simple.
So that's where we're at... $22. You see why I call this CHASING the American Dream? ;)
So I guess it's only fair that I tell you how far along we are in the process. Well, you better hold onto your socks cus this just might knock them off! As of today, April 30th, 2010, we have a whopping $22 towards our down payment!!!!! I know, I know... Watch out real estate market, HERE WE COME!
In all seriousness, we literally are starting over again. From the VERY beginning. We've had to drain our previous fund and we're starting from scratch. It stinks, but what're you gonna do?
For those of you who may be wondering, our down payment/ home account is going to be its own seperate fund... Money goes in, but it does not come out. And the idea is that, literally, every extra penny will go towards our future home. That's how I, personally, save for things. And it works for me. I've done it many different ways before (in piggy banks, envelopes, bank accounts, etc) but the point is that this system works. Setting one thing aside and throwing all your spare change and extra cash into that one fund works. Pretty simple.
So that's where we're at... $22. You see why I call this CHASING the American Dream? ;)
Our biggest Goal...
So right now, our biggest goal is to save up and buy our own home. We're doing this in lots of ways, the biggest one probably being managing our money as well as possible and putting as much away to savings as we can.
We're learning to live with less and make more of what we have. I use coupons, shop smart, and do lots of other things to minimize our costs until we increase our income.
I don't claim to be an expert frugal-ista (sure that's a word! ;)), but I'm happy to share with others the way we're doing things. I welcome questions about specifics; I'll be happy to provide more specific examples to anyone who's interested. But other than that, I probably won't bore you with itemizing my grocery list and showing you every dollar I save. :)
I will let everyone follow along as we build our down-payment fund and get ready to acheive our big goal, and I will share tips on how and when I save good money throughout the weeks/months. :)
We're learning to live with less and make more of what we have. I use coupons, shop smart, and do lots of other things to minimize our costs until we increase our income.
I don't claim to be an expert frugal-ista (sure that's a word! ;)), but I'm happy to share with others the way we're doing things. I welcome questions about specifics; I'll be happy to provide more specific examples to anyone who's interested. But other than that, I probably won't bore you with itemizing my grocery list and showing you every dollar I save. :)
I will let everyone follow along as we build our down-payment fund and get ready to acheive our big goal, and I will share tips on how and when I save good money throughout the weeks/months. :)
I'm BAAAAAAAAAACK!!!
Ok, so I am officially jumping into the blogging world with both clumsy feet of mine! I am hoping this blog will be my most successful yet. And I'm praying I can keep up with it :D
So this blog is titled "Chasing the American Dream" and the keyword there is CHASING. Let me give you a little background on our family and our life.
We're a family of three- the hubby, me, and the almost 3 year old. My husband works entirely too hard for his money and commutes an hour round-trip every day to work in a gas-guzzling car. I am a full time student/ stay at home mommy/ entrepeneur/ woman going crazy. While I have an amazing Mary Kay business and I tutor very, very part-time, we are basically a 1 income family right now. We're finding that it's incredibly hard to save and accomplish all the things we'd like in life with just this one income. So we've been making changes, big and small, to get things accomplished.
Another little fun fact about us: We currently live with my parents. Yep, we're insane. It's a long story as to how we got here, but we're here. The 5 of us share a 3600 square foot, 2 story custom home that sits on over an acre of land.... plenty of room for the 3 dogs, 3 cats, and toddler... as well as the 4 cars and my dad's 20 foot bass boat. We're not cramped, but nonetheless we're looking to move on sooner rather than later. However, right now we're perfectly content to not pay rent and to still have an awesome amount of space to ourselves (3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a living room upstairs just for us :-P) And it's a great place to be while we start saving to chase our American Dream. That dream includes a house to call our own, more kids, and me out of school and in my dream job... teaching. There's more, but that's the start. Those are the short term goals, so to speak.
And this blog is going to track how our family combines minimalism, saving, and much more to acheive those dreams as soon as possible. Hope you enjoy!
Melissa
So this blog is titled "Chasing the American Dream" and the keyword there is CHASING. Let me give you a little background on our family and our life.
We're a family of three- the hubby, me, and the almost 3 year old. My husband works entirely too hard for his money and commutes an hour round-trip every day to work in a gas-guzzling car. I am a full time student/ stay at home mommy/ entrepeneur/ woman going crazy. While I have an amazing Mary Kay business and I tutor very, very part-time, we are basically a 1 income family right now. We're finding that it's incredibly hard to save and accomplish all the things we'd like in life with just this one income. So we've been making changes, big and small, to get things accomplished.
Another little fun fact about us: We currently live with my parents. Yep, we're insane. It's a long story as to how we got here, but we're here. The 5 of us share a 3600 square foot, 2 story custom home that sits on over an acre of land.... plenty of room for the 3 dogs, 3 cats, and toddler... as well as the 4 cars and my dad's 20 foot bass boat. We're not cramped, but nonetheless we're looking to move on sooner rather than later. However, right now we're perfectly content to not pay rent and to still have an awesome amount of space to ourselves (3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a living room upstairs just for us :-P) And it's a great place to be while we start saving to chase our American Dream. That dream includes a house to call our own, more kids, and me out of school and in my dream job... teaching. There's more, but that's the start. Those are the short term goals, so to speak.
And this blog is going to track how our family combines minimalism, saving, and much more to acheive those dreams as soon as possible. Hope you enjoy!
Melissa
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)